1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data processing systems in general and, more particularly, to methods for initial program loading (IPL) terminals in said data processing systems.
2. Prior Art
A typical data processing system usually includes a host computer which is coupled by a communications network to a plurality of terminals. Each terminal is connected to one or more I/O devices. Such I/O devices may include keyboards, printers, displays, etc. In order for the system to function satisfactorily, the host computer must know the system configuration. This means that the host computer must know the addresses of each terminal, controller and/or I/O devices connected to particular terminals. This information is used by the host computer to download programs into the controllers and/or the terminals. These programs provide the interface through which data can be exchanged between a terminal and an attached I/O device.
In the past, several techniques have been used to provide the host computer with information on the system configuration. In one such prior art technique the system configuration is defined manually, by an operator, at the host computer. The operator uses macro instructions to effectively build an operating system load image for each type of terminal to be loaded by the controller. The operating system is subsequently transferred to the terminals. Although the technique works well, it is time-consuming and laborious. It also requires a host computer and an experienced programmer to enter the configuration profiles.
Other techniques such as automatic address assignment of different stations of the network and entering a serial number into a remove device are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,423,414 and 4,424,573, respectively.